Thera 1.82: Kassapa
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(82):Kassapa Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =82. Kassapa= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī, as the son of a brahmin(priest) of north-western origin,1 he was named Kassapa. His father died while he was a child, and his mother brought him up. When one day he heard the Exalted One(Buddha) preach at the Jeta Grove, he was then and there impelled by maturing conditions to enter the First Path(of nirvanic trance). And going to his mother, he asked her permission for his initiation into monkhood. Now when the Lord(Buddha) had ended the rainy season with the Parivāra festival and was starting on his country tour, Kassapa was anxious to go with him. And first he went to take leave of his mother. She let him go with this teaching: ---- 82 Yena yena subhikkhāni sivāni abhayāni ca|| Tena puttaka gacchassu mā sokāpahato bhavā' ti.|| || ---- 82 To any place where alms are easy got, Wherever it is safe and free from peril, there Go you, my boy; upset not your life with care. ---- Then the Thera thought: 'My mother wants me to go where I shall be free from care. Come then, for me it is right to win a place entirely and absolutely free from care.' And, striving, he set up insight and soon won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that, inasmuch as his mother's words had been his spur in winning it, he repeated that very verse. ---- 1 Udicca-brāhmaṇassa. Cf. Jāt., i. 324; Milinda, ii. 45, n. 1. ---- =1.9-2 82 Commentary on the stanza of Kassapatthera= The stanza starting with yena yena subhikkhāni constitutes that of the venerable Thera Kassapa. What is the origin? It is said that this one was reborn in a brahmin family at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara and reached proficiency in the three vedas as well as in other brahmanic lores. One day, he happened to have seen the Blessed One, became pious-minded, and made reverential offering of jasmine (sumana) flowers (to Him). In doing so, he threw handfuls of flowers all round as well as above the Master. Because of the power of buddha, the flowers remained for seven days in the manner of a flower-seat. On having sighted that wonder, he became all the more pious-minded. Doing meritorious deeds now and then, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths but in excellent extences (sugati) for a hundred thousand aeons (kappa) and was reborn as the son of a certain brahmin of north-western origin (udicca) in Sāvatthi, when this Buddha arose. His name was Kassapa. At the time when he was but young, he father died . His mother supported him. One day, he reached Jetavana, listened to the teaching of the truth (dhamma) of the Blessed One and owing to being endowed with cause, he became a Stream-winner (sotāpanna) on that self-same seat; he went to the persence of his mother, became a monk with her approval and when the Master departed on a tour of the districts after having held the condoning ceremony (pavāretvā) in the wake of having spent the lent, this one being desirous of going together with the Master, went to the presence of his mother to ask for permission to do so. Letting him go (vissajjentī) the mother spoke a stanza by way of instruction to him. 82. O Son! You should go there wherever beggings of alms-food are easy, fortunate (siva) and safe (abhaya). Do not be afflicted (pahata) with anxiety (soka). There, yena yena means where and where. This instrumentive wording is, indeed, in the locative meaning (bhummatthe); in whichever portion of direction; thus, is the meaning. Subhikkhāni means: much alms-food (pinḍāni) easily available; Sivāni means secure (khema) healthy (aroga) places. Abhayāni means: places free from such dangers as robber-danger, etc., such dangers as disease disaster and famine catastrophe, however, have been taken up by the self-same set of two words, namely: “Subhikkhāni, (easily begged food), sivāni (fortunate fares).” Tena means: there; in that and that portion of direction; thus, is the meaning. Puttaka conotes: being compassionate she thus addressed him. Mā means an indeclinable particle (nipāta) in the meaning of prohibition. Sokāpahato means: having gone to kingdoms devoid of the said qualities, bhava means; may you not be afflicted with anxiety, born of such dangers as famine and so on; thus, is the meaning. On having heard what his mother said, the Thera became anergetic (ussāhajāto), saying to himself:” My mother hopes for (āsīsati) my going to places free from anxiety (sokarahita); come! It is befitting for me to arrive at the site where anxiety is absent but perpetually (accantaṃ) in all respects,” placed himself on the development of spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna:–- “The reciter and memoriser of manta I, who was proficient in the three vedas, kept myself standing in open air and I saw the leader of the world, the great sage, resembling a lion roaming in the forest, similar to the tiger king free from trembling, like unto an elephant of Māraṅga species in rut burst open at three spots (tidhāpabhinna). Having collected flowers from the Sereyaka tree, I threw them up into the sky. They surrounded in all respects by the power of Buddha. The great Hero, the omniscient leader of the world, made His resolution; the flower-covers spread down the bull among men all round. Thereafter that flower covering (Kañ- cuka), facing outside (bahimukha) with stalks within (antovanta) made itself a roof (chadana) for seven days, and disappeared thereafter. Sequal to having seen also that wonder, strange and hair-bristling, I had my mind piously pleased with Buddha, speaker of good words (sugata) and leader of the world. On account of that pleasingly pious mind, and urged by bright base (sukkamūla) I did not have to be born in any evil existence for a hundred thousand eaons (kappa). In fifteen thousand of aeons (kappa), twenty five very strong world kings were known by the name of Vītamalā, the pure. My depravity had been burnt; … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having, however, attained Arahantship, he recited in reply (paccudahasi) that self-same stanza, saying to himself: “This word of my mother even, had become a goad (aṅkusaṃ) for (my) attainment of Arahantship.” The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Kassapa is complete. ----